Norwegian launches three new US routes from Gatwick

Stewart Wingate, chief executive of London Gatwick, welcomed the news as "one of the most exciting route developments" since the airport’s change of ownership four years ago.

Introductory one-way fares are £149 to New York (JFK), £179 to Fort Lauderdale (£179) and £199 to Los Angeles (LAX). The airline will fly twice a week to LA and Fort Lauderdale, and operate three flights a week to the Big Apple.

Bjørn Kjos, Norwegian’s chief executive, said: "There’s great demand for high quality flights at a low fare between the UK and the US, particularly to and from London Gatwick, where no other airline currently offers these routes... Launching long-haul routes between London Gatwick and the United States is also an important part of our strategy to expand internationally and get a stronger foothold in markets outside Scandinavia."

Norwegian is also launching five new European routes from Gatwick next spring and summer - Santorini, Corfu, Sicily (Catania), Cyprus and Budapest - and increasing flight frequencies on existing routes to Malaga, Ibiza, Split, Dubrovnik, Majorca, Faro, Tenerife, Copenhagen and Barcelona.